Homes burned. Horses stolen. Men murdered. Lives destroyed. This is Missouri's Civil War, pitting Southern guerrilla fighters against Union forces ... and neighbor against neighbor. It's the summer of 1863, and Matt Howard, 15, wishes he could just farm his dead father's land in peace. But there's no way that can happen. His best friend, Jesse James, is planning to join the ruthless guerrilla leader Quantrill - and he wants Matt to fight, too. His mother intends to take her children back home to Pennsylvania - and she wants Matt to go along. As the violence intensifies and events spiral out...